Former BDL governor Riad Salameh released on $14 million bail

Former Banque du Liban (BDL) governor Riad Salameh was released late Friday from detention at Bhannes Hospital under heavy security measures and away from media cameras, after posting a cash bail of $14 million, according to judicial sources.

The Court of Cassation’s public prosecution authorized his release following the payment. 

Salameh’s attorney, Mark Habka, speaking outside the hospital, described the move as “a new chapter” in Salameh’s trial, which he said had been marred by “fabrications and baseless accusations.” He called for the proceedings to be conducted “strictly in accordance with the law.”

Addressing questions over the source of the bail money, Habka said Prosecutor General Judge Ghassan Oueidat had carried out the routine legal procedure of verifying the funds before approving the release.

Habka also warned that starting next week, his team would pursue legal action against anyone leaking details of the confidential investigation or attempting to influence the judiciary “through populist rhetoric.”

He criticized the decision as a breach of Article 108 of Lebanon’s Code of Criminal Procedure, calling it a “dangerous precedent that threatens the liberty of any detainee,” but said the defense respected the court’s authority and would file an appeal.

Salameh faces multiple charges of corruption and embezzlement in Lebanon and abroad after nearly three decades at the helm of the country’s central bank.